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It's got me by the feeet!!
Read American Gods, finally. Adore Gaiman more and more, must admit. To quote Daniel Pinkwater, (though he said it about Laurel and Hardy) the thing about Neil Gaiman's stories "is how beautiful they are. They happen exactly the moment they have to happen. They don't happen a second to soon or too late. You can even predict what's going to happen, and it does happen, and it surprises you anyway. It doesn't surprise you because it happens, but because it happens so perfectly." I get all his references, too. It makes me feel as if my obsessive folklore reading has actually been useful.
Speaking of Pinkwater and obsessive folklore reading, am finally ready to submit to FA the HP-Snarkout Boys crossover (revised for OotP canon) and The Giant's Daughter, Fridwulfa/Hagrid Sr, which is based on the Tale of the Young King of Easaidh Ruadh (Yes, was written before recent Neil Gaiman kick, despite appearances), among other things. Will report if they get archived.
VBS is going well. All the kids are well-behaved except the middle-school-age helpers. The pastor's kid is a brat, and the vaguely gothy girls covet my stage-crew-blacks and dark ankle-length plaid skirt. Also, only 11 kids, so I don't actually have to do much. Tomorrow is parents' day. Joyeaux.
It seems like whenever I come back from an lj-absence, I inflict memes. Well, why not?
Do ideas come in little tiny pinpricks and then get expanded, or do they start great big and scopy and then get refined?
Various ways. Bit of dialogue, scenes I see in my head, dreams, stories . . usually by the time something has percolated long enough to be written down, all sorts of ideas are lumped into one big scopy thing.
Why do you choose to write in the tenses you do (present tense, or first person POV, or third person) and how do you choose particular styles for particular stories?
I write in various tenses and POVs. Usually it's just what seems right for the character or story; sometimes the idea I'm working from is in a particular POV. If I'm really having trouble, somebody on Holly Lisle's Forward Motion told me that you should find the character who changes the most, and their POV will usually work.
Do you have music that inspires your writing? (That you listen to while writing, or certain songs that remind you of certain characters.)
Listening to music while I write upsets my rhythm. I do, however, obsessively associate songs with stories, characters, and pairings.
How do you brainstorm what comes next in a story?
Varies. Take a nap, read something new, use Holly Lisle's Fast Plotting on index cards, freewrite for fifteen or twenty minutes. Usually by the time I start writing I have most of the scenes planned, I just have to order them and find proper transitions.
What do you do when you hit a road block?
See above. Also, delete last thousand words and start over from another POV or in another place and time
How often do you end up deleting a whole bunch of already-written stuff, and how hard is it to let that stuff go?
I rarely delete anything outright (except see above). Scene do fairly often get taken out and saved for a diferent story, or to be made into one-shots.
What if you really, really want to include something but part of you is saying it's not right for that particular story?
Set it aside and see if I can recycle it, or else delete it. One of the things that annoys me is when I read a scene that it seems like the author added just because they couldn't bear to kill it, but it isn't necessary to the story, so I'm rather brutal there with my own stuff.
Do you take notes longhand, and if so, when?
Almost all my prewriting is done longhand, as it requires scribbles, and arrows, and charts, and doodles, and such. I often do first drafts longhand, as well. Fewer distractions, more portable, more likely to be revised properly.
Do you use challenges by other people to inspire you?
Yes, but more as a goad to get something finished than a way to find ideas; I usually already have an idea that will fit the challenge. My muse is one of those little yappy dogs that jumps up at people and won't be quiet.
Do you do anything in particular to get you into the right mindset to write a certain character or characters?
Read a book or listen to a song that reminds me of them; sometimes meditate for a few minutes to find the mindset.
Which characters are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
Cardboard ones. :P
Which ones are hardest, and again, WHY?
Ones I haven't figured out yet. Ones who haven't figured *themselves* out yet.. Ones that are too much like me. I tend to inflict hard characters on myself: Redeemed!Voldemort, Catholic!Priest!Witch, Good!Black Magician.
Which characters are most like you emotionally?
Hmm. In fanfic, Ginny Weasley, Pansy, Trelawney.
How often do you feel like what you're writing is fulfilling some emotional need - ie, when you're writing comfort, is it because you often feel that you don't get it IRL?
Sometimes I rewrite things that have just happened that I can't talk about to anyone. It's cathartic, and occasionally leads to good stuff. Sadly, my life is boring, so that rarely happens.
What about writing smut - do you find it easy, difficult?
Difficult. No experience, very confused personal feelings, and respect for privacy of my characters. I keep trying, though, I'll manage some day.
What kinds of smut are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
Fade-to-black.
Which of your stories is your favorite and WHY? Least favorite?
Favorite: Whichever I worked on most recently. Ideas and characters are still churning in my head, I'm proud of actually working on it. Least favorite: Whichever I finished most recently. I have to face the fact that it's not getting any better and what am I going to do with it now? Do I dare?
Which of your titles do you like the most/least, and why?
Ooh, I like most of my titles. I have learned to pick something snappy, then stop worrying.
How do you choose titles for your stories?
I often use random phrases quoted from somewhere-- songs, poems, newspaper articles, conversations-- and taken out of context.
Do you write differently with a cowriter than you do alone? Is it easier or harder?
I don't work well with others.
Do you write original fic differently from fanfic (if you write it at all)?
I find fanfic easier, because canon is so limited. If you know the canon fairly well, and avoid obvious real-world mistakes, you're fine. And you have baselines for the characters. With original fic, canon is all creation, and I tend to bog myself down in research and worldbuilding (even for non-sf stuff).
For series and long works, do you decide a goal in advance to stop at or are they open ended? If you do choose a goal, how often do you stick to it?
I have an end in sight, but leave open the possibility of sequels or shorts in the same universe.
When a scene feels forced, what are the first few tricks you try to fix it?
Take a break for a few days. If it still seems unfixable, kill it.
Are most of your fixes deletions or additions?
Generally, first read-through is mostly additions or changes, second is deletions. It usually comes out even.
How long does it usually take you to write a story? How many revisions do you go through?
Story generally has to brew for months, although there are exceptions. Once I start writing, 1500 words or so an hour, but I write very erratically, so things are dropped for months then picked up again. One story has been worked on off-and-on for nine years; one was thought up at 9 AM and finished by 10 PM. I revise while I work, then generally one revision right after it's done, one after it's rested, and if necessary a quick read-through before I set it free.
Do you use beta readers?
Nope. Far too shy. Would like one, though. My grammar and spelling is good enough I really never have errors in that area, but good character/continuity/plot betas are hard to come by. Anybody want to trade?
Twenty places the Gay Deceiver would take me on rotations:
1: Heinlein's multiverse
2: Anywhere by Patricia McKillip
3: Daniel Pinkwater's world
4: Diane Duane's wizards, or possibly the Five Kingdoms
5: Lyra
6: Prydain
7: Earthsea
8: The Humanx commonwealth
9: Rosemary Sutcliffe's Roman Britian, with various bits of various others' thrown in for company
10: Anne McCaffrey's early FT&T world
11: The world of Goblins in the Castle
12: The world of Jackaroo
13: The world of Dogsbody
14: Amber, or possibly Pheyarcet
15: Lucky Starr
16: Jonathan Livingston Seagull's multiverse
17: Huckleberry Finn's Mississippi
18: The Star Wars Expanded Universe
19: New Testament Judaea
20: Miskatonic
(culled basically at random from my bookshelf, I'm sure there are more)
Last cigarette: Don't smoke. Do enjoy that cheap incense-onna-stick, the kind that looks like anorexic corn dogs. Just as good at keeping bugs out of your face, if clenched in the teeth, and lasts longer.
Last car ride: With mom, home from VBS by way of Wal-Mart, Ace, Giant, and Burger King, because she can never go just one place at once.
Last kiss: Can't actually recall. May have been on my hand.
Last good cry: Can't recall either.
Last library book checked out: An Explication of the Heirogyphicall Figures by Nicholas Flammel, the 1670 English translation.
Last movie seen: Real Genius, on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
speakerender's birthday.
Last book read: American Gods. Thisafternoon.
Last curse uttered: Fuck, probably, but probably used literally, and on paper, not aloud.
Last beverage drank: (Drunk, damn it!) Milk.
Last food consumed: Strawberries.
Last current crush: Never, that I know of, unless elementary school gym teacher counts.
Last phone call: Fromdreamsquirrel, about meeting last Thursday.
Last tv show watched: Last week's Six Wives of Henry the Eighth on PBS.
Last time showered: Tuesday evening, I think. Probably should tonight.
Last shoes worn: Dr. Scholl's sandals.
Last cd played: Best of Spike Jones
Last item bought: No clue, unless you count lunch at the co-op a week ago.
Last annoyance: University of Maryland web page.
Last disappointment: Failing chemistry
Last soda drank: (drunk!!!) Birch beer at Tommy's in Old Mill. Before that, can of Cherry Cream from the co-op.
Last thing written: Outline for girlslash challenge fic. Written out in full, script for mini Sandman fancomic.
Last key used: House key
Last word spoken: Describing to Mom contents of old trunk Dad hauled home full from his father's attic.
Last sleep: 8 thismorning.
Last im: Probably Vacko, who didn't understand why I had suddenly become a pickle.
Last sexual fantasy: Too boring (or possibly repressed) to have sexual fantasies. Using real people is squicky, fictional characters pathetic. Last sex dream: involved someone on my friendslist who I've never met in person, and is in fact not real but merely a personality fragment. But we were 19th century English schoolgirls, which I guess is appropriate.
Last weird encounter: Guy at co-op who liked my straw hat. (bought at colonial williamsburg)
Last ice cream eaten: Good Humor dark chocolate bar.
Last time amused: Listening to Snarkout Boys tapes.
Last time wanting to die: A month or so ago. But not seriously.
Last time in love: Not that I know of.
Last time hugged: By Dad, tonight, before talking to me about having failed chemistry.
Last time scolded: See above
Last time resentful: Mom playing minesweeper all evening when I wanted to get online.
Last chair sat in: The computer chair. Dad found it in a Dumpster. Uncomfortable, squeaky, and duct-taped.
Last lipstick used: Does chocolate-flavored chapstick count? If not, then my cousin's wedding, eight years ago.
Last underwear worn: white cotton low-cut briefs.
Last bra worn: sports bra when washing car last Wednesday.
Last shirt worn: black It's Okay, I'm With The Crew shirt.
Last time dancing: While listening to Hello Dolly LP for filking purposes.
Last poster looked at: Johnny Tremain poem I wrote in fifth grade, which Mom refuses to take down.
To go to the Old South Church and listen,/When he heard Sam Adams speak, to blow a silver whistle
EDIT: Sister got a livejournal!stellar_dust! With cute hobbit icons! Will everybody give in? Ahhh!
Speaking of Pinkwater and obsessive folklore reading, am finally ready to submit to FA the HP-Snarkout Boys crossover (revised for OotP canon) and The Giant's Daughter, Fridwulfa/Hagrid Sr, which is based on the Tale of the Young King of Easaidh Ruadh (Yes, was written before recent Neil Gaiman kick, despite appearances), among other things. Will report if they get archived.
VBS is going well. All the kids are well-behaved except the middle-school-age helpers. The pastor's kid is a brat, and the vaguely gothy girls covet my stage-crew-blacks and dark ankle-length plaid skirt. Also, only 11 kids, so I don't actually have to do much. Tomorrow is parents' day. Joyeaux.
It seems like whenever I come back from an lj-absence, I inflict memes. Well, why not?
Do ideas come in little tiny pinpricks and then get expanded, or do they start great big and scopy and then get refined?
Various ways. Bit of dialogue, scenes I see in my head, dreams, stories . . usually by the time something has percolated long enough to be written down, all sorts of ideas are lumped into one big scopy thing.
Why do you choose to write in the tenses you do (present tense, or first person POV, or third person) and how do you choose particular styles for particular stories?
I write in various tenses and POVs. Usually it's just what seems right for the character or story; sometimes the idea I'm working from is in a particular POV. If I'm really having trouble, somebody on Holly Lisle's Forward Motion told me that you should find the character who changes the most, and their POV will usually work.
Do you have music that inspires your writing? (That you listen to while writing, or certain songs that remind you of certain characters.)
Listening to music while I write upsets my rhythm. I do, however, obsessively associate songs with stories, characters, and pairings.
How do you brainstorm what comes next in a story?
Varies. Take a nap, read something new, use Holly Lisle's Fast Plotting on index cards, freewrite for fifteen or twenty minutes. Usually by the time I start writing I have most of the scenes planned, I just have to order them and find proper transitions.
What do you do when you hit a road block?
See above. Also, delete last thousand words and start over from another POV or in another place and time
How often do you end up deleting a whole bunch of already-written stuff, and how hard is it to let that stuff go?
I rarely delete anything outright (except see above). Scene do fairly often get taken out and saved for a diferent story, or to be made into one-shots.
What if you really, really want to include something but part of you is saying it's not right for that particular story?
Set it aside and see if I can recycle it, or else delete it. One of the things that annoys me is when I read a scene that it seems like the author added just because they couldn't bear to kill it, but it isn't necessary to the story, so I'm rather brutal there with my own stuff.
Do you take notes longhand, and if so, when?
Almost all my prewriting is done longhand, as it requires scribbles, and arrows, and charts, and doodles, and such. I often do first drafts longhand, as well. Fewer distractions, more portable, more likely to be revised properly.
Do you use challenges by other people to inspire you?
Yes, but more as a goad to get something finished than a way to find ideas; I usually already have an idea that will fit the challenge. My muse is one of those little yappy dogs that jumps up at people and won't be quiet.
Do you do anything in particular to get you into the right mindset to write a certain character or characters?
Read a book or listen to a song that reminds me of them; sometimes meditate for a few minutes to find the mindset.
Which characters are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
Cardboard ones. :P
Which ones are hardest, and again, WHY?
Ones I haven't figured out yet. Ones who haven't figured *themselves* out yet.. Ones that are too much like me. I tend to inflict hard characters on myself: Redeemed!Voldemort, Catholic!Priest!Witch, Good!Black Magician.
Which characters are most like you emotionally?
Hmm. In fanfic, Ginny Weasley, Pansy, Trelawney.
How often do you feel like what you're writing is fulfilling some emotional need - ie, when you're writing comfort, is it because you often feel that you don't get it IRL?
Sometimes I rewrite things that have just happened that I can't talk about to anyone. It's cathartic, and occasionally leads to good stuff. Sadly, my life is boring, so that rarely happens.
What about writing smut - do you find it easy, difficult?
Difficult. No experience, very confused personal feelings, and respect for privacy of my characters. I keep trying, though, I'll manage some day.
What kinds of smut are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
Fade-to-black.
Which of your stories is your favorite and WHY? Least favorite?
Favorite: Whichever I worked on most recently. Ideas and characters are still churning in my head, I'm proud of actually working on it. Least favorite: Whichever I finished most recently. I have to face the fact that it's not getting any better and what am I going to do with it now? Do I dare?
Which of your titles do you like the most/least, and why?
Ooh, I like most of my titles. I have learned to pick something snappy, then stop worrying.
How do you choose titles for your stories?
I often use random phrases quoted from somewhere-- songs, poems, newspaper articles, conversations-- and taken out of context.
Do you write differently with a cowriter than you do alone? Is it easier or harder?
I don't work well with others.
Do you write original fic differently from fanfic (if you write it at all)?
I find fanfic easier, because canon is so limited. If you know the canon fairly well, and avoid obvious real-world mistakes, you're fine. And you have baselines for the characters. With original fic, canon is all creation, and I tend to bog myself down in research and worldbuilding (even for non-sf stuff).
For series and long works, do you decide a goal in advance to stop at or are they open ended? If you do choose a goal, how often do you stick to it?
I have an end in sight, but leave open the possibility of sequels or shorts in the same universe.
When a scene feels forced, what are the first few tricks you try to fix it?
Take a break for a few days. If it still seems unfixable, kill it.
Are most of your fixes deletions or additions?
Generally, first read-through is mostly additions or changes, second is deletions. It usually comes out even.
How long does it usually take you to write a story? How many revisions do you go through?
Story generally has to brew for months, although there are exceptions. Once I start writing, 1500 words or so an hour, but I write very erratically, so things are dropped for months then picked up again. One story has been worked on off-and-on for nine years; one was thought up at 9 AM and finished by 10 PM. I revise while I work, then generally one revision right after it's done, one after it's rested, and if necessary a quick read-through before I set it free.
Do you use beta readers?
Nope. Far too shy. Would like one, though. My grammar and spelling is good enough I really never have errors in that area, but good character/continuity/plot betas are hard to come by. Anybody want to trade?
Twenty places the Gay Deceiver would take me on rotations:
1: Heinlein's multiverse
2: Anywhere by Patricia McKillip
3: Daniel Pinkwater's world
4: Diane Duane's wizards, or possibly the Five Kingdoms
5: Lyra
6: Prydain
7: Earthsea
8: The Humanx commonwealth
9: Rosemary Sutcliffe's Roman Britian, with various bits of various others' thrown in for company
10: Anne McCaffrey's early FT&T world
11: The world of Goblins in the Castle
12: The world of Jackaroo
13: The world of Dogsbody
14: Amber, or possibly Pheyarcet
15: Lucky Starr
16: Jonathan Livingston Seagull's multiverse
17: Huckleberry Finn's Mississippi
18: The Star Wars Expanded Universe
19: New Testament Judaea
20: Miskatonic
(culled basically at random from my bookshelf, I'm sure there are more)
Last cigarette: Don't smoke. Do enjoy that cheap incense-onna-stick, the kind that looks like anorexic corn dogs. Just as good at keeping bugs out of your face, if clenched in the teeth, and lasts longer.
Last car ride: With mom, home from VBS by way of Wal-Mart, Ace, Giant, and Burger King, because she can never go just one place at once.
Last kiss: Can't actually recall. May have been on my hand.
Last good cry: Can't recall either.
Last library book checked out: An Explication of the Heirogyphicall Figures by Nicholas Flammel, the 1670 English translation.
Last movie seen: Real Genius, on
speakerender's birthday.Last book read: American Gods. Thisafternoon.
Last curse uttered: Fuck, probably, but probably used literally, and on paper, not aloud.
Last beverage drank: (Drunk, damn it!) Milk.
Last food consumed: Strawberries.
Last current crush: Never, that I know of, unless elementary school gym teacher counts.
Last phone call: From
dreamsquirrel, about meeting last Thursday.Last tv show watched: Last week's Six Wives of Henry the Eighth on PBS.
Last time showered: Tuesday evening, I think. Probably should tonight.
Last shoes worn: Dr. Scholl's sandals.
Last cd played: Best of Spike Jones
Last item bought: No clue, unless you count lunch at the co-op a week ago.
Last annoyance: University of Maryland web page.
Last disappointment: Failing chemistry
Last soda drank: (drunk!!!) Birch beer at Tommy's in Old Mill. Before that, can of Cherry Cream from the co-op.
Last thing written: Outline for girlslash challenge fic. Written out in full, script for mini Sandman fancomic.
Last key used: House key
Last word spoken: Describing to Mom contents of old trunk Dad hauled home full from his father's attic.
Last sleep: 8 thismorning.
Last im: Probably Vacko, who didn't understand why I had suddenly become a pickle.
Last sexual fantasy: Too boring (or possibly repressed) to have sexual fantasies. Using real people is squicky, fictional characters pathetic. Last sex dream: involved someone on my friendslist who I've never met in person, and is in fact not real but merely a personality fragment. But we were 19th century English schoolgirls, which I guess is appropriate.
Last weird encounter: Guy at co-op who liked my straw hat. (bought at colonial williamsburg)
Last ice cream eaten: Good Humor dark chocolate bar.
Last time amused: Listening to Snarkout Boys tapes.
Last time wanting to die: A month or so ago. But not seriously.
Last time in love: Not that I know of.
Last time hugged: By Dad, tonight, before talking to me about having failed chemistry.
Last time scolded: See above
Last time resentful: Mom playing minesweeper all evening when I wanted to get online.
Last chair sat in: The computer chair. Dad found it in a Dumpster. Uncomfortable, squeaky, and duct-taped.
Last lipstick used: Does chocolate-flavored chapstick count? If not, then my cousin's wedding, eight years ago.
Last underwear worn: white cotton low-cut briefs.
Last bra worn: sports bra when washing car last Wednesday.
Last shirt worn: black It's Okay, I'm With The Crew shirt.
Last time dancing: While listening to Hello Dolly LP for filking purposes.
Last poster looked at: Johnny Tremain poem I wrote in fifth grade, which Mom refuses to take down.
To go to the Old South Church and listen,/When he heard Sam Adams speak, to blow a silver whistle
EDIT: Sister got a livejournal!
stellar_dust! With cute hobbit icons! Will everybody give in? Ahhh!